Made for Each Other
by The WGPM
Summary: Doofenshmirtz finally got one right. His goal: to engineer the perfect human - but his success came with a catch. So had someone else. When the results' forbidden meeting becomes reality, they'll both learn there's much more to their origins than meets the eye, and their bond may have consequences worse than what anyone could have predicted. Not your typical Phinabella AU!
1. Perfect

**Here I go, into the world of the AU. This one was first going to be written as an original fiction piece, but really, it's more fun this way. So, in this particular story, the García-Shapiro's live in Mexico. Linda and Lawrence are married, but Phineas and Candace (or, their AU counterparts anyway) do not know about it. And yes, Doof is their biological father. Although, so are plenty of other people.**

**Disclaimers: _Phineas and Ferb _belongs to Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh (and Disney). Also, as these characters are not mine, they may not be accurate representations of perfection, and I mean no offence to anyone who disagrees with what is stated here. This story is meant purely for entertainment. Thank you for understanding.**

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><p>For the first time in centuries, there was a war. Nothing violent, of course, but that was what everyone called it. It was not a war, as much as a race. A scientific revolution between two countries who had generally kept peace since their respective foundings.<p>

In the north corner, the United States of America. A scientist by the name of Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz was the one who started it all - one day, he came across a genetic breakthrough that could allow for the traits he desired to be present in a human being. He set to work that very night, gathering materials, testing on mice, studying his field for years before he was ready to try it for real. The result was Cansummace.

In the south, Mexico. Fed up with the attention recieved by their northern and European neighbors, another scientist named Vivian García took to studying for the same project. Determined to boost her country's reputation in the world of science, she did everything she could to produce a person with the traits.

Cansummace was a failed experiment. She was a healthy person, cleared by all the medics in Doofenshmirtz's wing, but she was mentally unstable on an extreme level. Her morals were straight, and her ambition, acceptable, but she was physically average. Not ugly, but not gorgeous. Not constantly sick, but not entirely immune. She was a step towards the goal, but as much as Doofenshmirtz loved her, she was not enough to satisfy his needs.

After Cansummace was born (actually, she was developed in a petri dish), Dra. García wasted no time putting her studies to the test. The United States, taking notice of Mexico's ambition, did the same. Exactly four years after Cansummace, two new experiments entered the picture. On the same day. On January first of the new year, Perfeneas was born as a brother to Cansummace, and Isealia became the only daughter to the now Dra. García-Shapiro. The race ended, and it was a tie.

Unlike poor Cansummace, Perfeneas and Isealia had done it. They satisfied every category the scientists required. They were perfect. In the ten and a half years they have each been alive, they have never once been called unattractive. Never once had they fallen ill. They lived their lives as if nothing could ever go wrong, and because they could never do wrong, nothing did.

At least not to them.

Cansummace. Perfeneas. Isealia. Consummation. Perfection. Ideals. These are the things the two geneticists spent their careers achieving. Not unto themselves; it was far too late for that. What they wanted was for their children to be this way. And that's what they got.

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><p>"Perfeneas! Get over here!" Bellowed Cansummace. The boy quickly obliged. "Look what I did."<p>

Perfeneas inspected his sister's creation. A second later, he asked, "What do you request I do now?"

"Tell me what you think about it," she told him.

The boy peered over the scale model rollercoaster on the living room table. After the addition of the table's height, it was as tall as he was.

"I think the model is useless for anything beyond decoration," Peferneas concluded. "However, given the gradient of the first drop and the speed that centrifugal force would have generated at this point, I believe that if a life-sized version of the ride was to be assembled, people who are not inherently scared to go on it would find riding it enjoyable. I realize that you are asking me to evaluate your construction of the model, and at first glance it looks like you have done it correctly. I cannot ignore the fact that this piece is slightly dislodged or that there lacks an appropriate amount of space for the car to fit under the track here. Despite this, I have noticed your skills in the previously mentioned field have improved since the last time you requested my evaluation, and because you obviously desire a compliment, I will say: you have done well."

Perfeneas's air of friendliness getting to his sister, Cansummace decided this was an acceptable answer (while she did not have all the personality traits present in her brother, she was given an almost infinite measure of patience). "I want to learn how to do it right," she admitted. "Perfect, like you would do it."

"I request permission to touch the model," Perfeneas stated.

Cansummace sighed. "...Granted," she allowed.

Perfeneas moved at a brisk pace, placing each piece in its proper position and then disinfecting the project. "It is as you want it to be, sister."

"Good. Now please go away."

The boy was unfazed by the rudeness of the question. He did as he was told.

Dr. Doofenshmirtz called him.

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><p>"Isealia," Dra. García-Shapiro called in fluent Latin American Spanish, "Please come here. I need to tell you something."<p>

The girl walked quickly and quietly up to her mother. "I am present and you have my attention," she stated.

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><p>"Listen, kiddo," Doofenshmirtz began, using the nickname he started calling his one success. "In one week, there's going to be a sort of convention you will need to attend."<p>

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><p>"I request details on the nature of this convention," Isealia said.<p>

Vivian sat upright on the sofa. "It is a science convention," she informed.

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><p>"I have been told that I excel at science," Perfeneas insisted.<p>

"You excel at everything," Doofenshmirtz reminded the boy.

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><p>Isealia told her mother, "I am aware of that."<p>

"Good. Now..." She sighed. "There's something I haven't told you about your origin."

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><p>Without giving Perfeneas time to react, Doofenshmirtz continued. "You see, kiddo, you were designed to be perfect. But, in Mexico, there was someone else who had the same idea, and eventually it became a compettition, of sorts, to see who would finish first."<p>

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><p>"The only problem is, you and the other boy were born on the same day. No one won, so that day I had to make a pact with the American scientist. It was decided that ten years and seven months after your birthday, you two would be tested. Whoever scores higher wins for their country."<p>

Isealia processed this information immediately, being able to think faster than average people. "Mother, if we are both perfect, how will one of us outrank the other? With all due respect, this test you speak of is a contradiction of itself."

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><p>"Well, kiddo, that's the thing," Doofenshmirtz added, "Since you're supposed to be the embodiment of perfection, and there's two of you, logic dictates that either one or the other actually makes the cut." The scientist exhaled sharply. "And I know it's you."<p>

"I do not have any proof to say either way," Perfeneas stated. "However, it is my opinion that, especially considering we are of different genders, it is possible for both of us to be perfect. After all, in a mathematical equation, there are multiple ways to reach the accurate conclusion."

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><p>Vivian did not believe her ears. Either Isealia was implying she was wrong or proving that her American counterpart was superior. Because Vivian was flawed, she felt the need to correct this even after arriving at that conclusion. "Nonsence, Isealia. You are going to the convention and you are going to take the test and you are going to win. I believe in you and the rest of Mexico believes in you. We are leaving for America in four days time. Do you have any questions?"<p>

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><p>To Perfeneas, the reaction time between his father's question and his answer felt like an entire minute. It was in reality less than five seconds. "I do have one question."<p>

"Shoot."

"Will I interact with the other person?"

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><p>"I was afraid you would ask that..." Dra. García-Shapiro admitted. "The answer is no. You will not be able to talk to him, meet him, know his name - by the official rules, I think you are not even allowed to look at him."<p>

Isealia considered this. "I understand," she declared. "At your instruction, I will begin packing for the trip."

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><p>"Good boy," praised Dr. Doofenshmirtz. "You can start now."<p>

Perfeneas did as he was told.

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><p><strong>So, opinions? I know I've been on hiatus for almost two months (my computer's still down, but I'm managing) and I hope this little AU can make up for it! That said, updates may take a little longer than usual. And again, the cover image was made by me. Whatever happens, Carpe Diem!<strong>


	2. Identical

**This chapter is mostly description... That's okay, right? Once again, I mean no offense to anyone if I misrepresent a character or location.**

**Review responses!**

**Guest: Hehe. That's a funny word. _Baleejuz_. Guess you'll see right now!**

**Phineas A: Well, chapter-wise, it might become lengthy. But the chapters themselves won't be terribly long. You got nothing, eh? Here, take some virtual peanut butter for your charity. I've got, um... Tons of it.**

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><p>Perfeneas's appearance, and that of his designated living quarters, were extremely simple. For as long as he could remember (and that was a very long time, given his photographic memory), he had been clothed in a plain white t-shirt and white denim shorts. He did wear socks, but they were invisible beneath his monotone sneakers. The most distinguishing feature about how he looked was the geometric shape of his head; who knew the most attractive male human face would be triangular? He was topped with a tuft of red hair, always properly in place. His all-white attire made him look a bit like a lit candle, the wax burning down the top into an equilateral polygon and falling into a burnt clump at his feet.<p>

In a similar way, Perfeneas's room was uncharacteristically bland. White paint covered the walls and ceiling, and the carpet retained that same color no matter where the boy's shoes had tread. His bed, off to the corner next to his dresser and closet, was always made up even when he slept in it. He only wore the one outfit, seven other copies of which took up the space in his drawers. He had soundproofed the room himself so as not to disturb his family when practicing the many instruments - which he had purchased - that he was assigned to learn how to play. Cansummace was given the same job, but could only master the ones that start with 'B'. A video camera was always running in Perfeneas's room, but he always worked and played in peace.

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><p>Isealia was Perfeneas's immediate counterpart, and because of this they shared much in common in appearance and everything in common in personality. Of course, Isealia was not a female version of Perfeneas's triangle, for what looked good on a boy may look hideous on a girl and vice versa. It was discovered that the most attractive feminine face would take on a semicircular shape, something that was attempted in Cansummace but ultimately failed. Isealia's long, raven hair hung neatly down to the middle of her back, and if seen in a certain light, one could be sure there were strands of blue highlighting her midnight-colored head. In contrast to her hair, she wore a purely white dress with t-shirt-like sleeves and a turtleneck, which flowed, as she did, to about a quarter of the way down her legs. This was soon met with a pair of white over-the-knee socks. Her shoes were not any more colorful than the rest of her clothing. Taken all together, Isealia was subtly reminiscent of the ocean at night, what with her black hair moving like waves as she walked, with blue tints floating about like shafts of light falling into the depths of the abyss and her white dress moving in sync with her hair as free as the foam rolling on the water's surface.<p>

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><p>Ferb Fletcher was not perfect. Not by far. One look at his hair color and mismatched eyes could tell you that much. So, unlike Perfeneas, Ferb was prone to such things as keeping secrets and not voicing his opinion. Both of these, he did often, especially now in the few months preceding Perfeneas's test with Isealia. He was the head of a team of boys Perfeneas's age assigned by the O.W.C.A., a group of spies dedicated to protecting people of importance, to lead him through life around people not born of science. There were six in all, including Ferb; the names of the other five were Buford, Baljeet, Irving, Django, and Balthazar. Recently, Ferb had been in communication with a girl slightly younger than he, by the name of Graciela, whom the boy was not supposed to even know about. One day, Irving had mentioned her and set up a satellite uplink with her and five other girls. To anyone else, the conversation between the two parties was just a friendly exchange of words, but Ferb ended up learning more than was allowed about the job of Graciela's team concerning Isealia. He eventually found a way to contact her without Irving, and since then have developed a plan, in secret, about what to do at the time of the big test.<p>

Ferb was always good at keeping secrets. He was not purposefully vague; he just had a knack for mystery, and to be frank he had a lot of secrets he would be forced to keep even if he did not want to. His biggest was his true relationship with Perfeneas - but that was a story for another day.

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><p>For Perfeneas and Isealia, everything had to be experienced. To see what their abilities were, Vivian and Heinz had put their respective children through all kinds of different situations. In addition to other assignments, they had to learn how to play all varieties of sports, know how to defend themselves, be familiar with various trivia, possess an unsurpassed level of creativity, and learn to care for animals.<p>

Cansummace was given a beagle to look after. She had learned how to treat it and gave it the name "Bucky." For a few years, that portion of the experiment went well, but eventually the responsibility became too much for the girl to fulfill on her own. To avoid bumping up the rating, what became of the dog will not be clarified, so suffice it to say that Bucky now lives on Old Man Simmon's farm.

Though it was not a beagle, Isealia was also given a dog. The chihuahua, named Pinky, was an agent for the O.S.B.A.M., the _Organización Sin un Buen Acrónimo de México_ (aka M.O.W.C.A. in English-speaking countries). North of the border, a platypus named Perry was given the same job, as Perfeneas's designated animal. At first, Doofenshmirtz protested that because of Perfeneas's condition he would not need any protection, but OWCA insisted and Doofenshmirtz and Perry had not gotten along since.

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><p>"Adiós, Isealia!" Graciela called, seeing her friend off at the airport. "Buena suerte."<p>

Isealia, fluent in every language she was taught, knew the phrase meant 'Good luck'. "Thank you girls," she bid in the same tongue, "I plan to do my best."

Then, Vivian took Isealia away to the boarding gate, two tickets to the Tri-State Area hidden safely in her pocketbook.

Graciela waved cheerfully until the two were out of sight. She then excused herself from the rest of her team, Asención, Milagrosa, Acebo, Jengibre, and Katia, claiming she was meeting her parents elsewhere. She quickly bid goodbye to the girls and turned a corner so that she was not seen.

She powered up and called someone on a communication device she was permitted to use by OSBAM, disguised as a wristwatch. "Ferb, this is Graciela," she whispered into the mic, knowing not to use English. "Do you copy?"

A picture of the British boy flickered onto the screen. Despite his nationality, he had learned Spanish and carried the conversation on with little difficulty. He nodded.

Graciela continued, "Isealia and Dra. García-Shapiro just left. I am waiting for the plane to arrive, and I should be in the United States in a few hours. How is it going with Perfeneas?"

Ferb hesitated. "He is leaving in two days," he explained, "He is staying at a hotel that night and the test will be the day after."

"Good. That should give me enough time to find you and we can put the plan into action. Is Cansummace going with them?"

The boy shook his head in affirmation. Graciela peeked her head around the wall, taking note that her team of girls had left.

"...Okay. The plane will be leaving soon. I'm going in," she informed Ferb. She powered off the device and snuck into the crowd of people boarding the aircraft. Phase I was almost complete.

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><p><strong>Let me tell you, finding Spanish names for the Fireside Girls was not easy. Graciela takes place of Gretchen; Asención is Adyson; Milagrosa is Milly; Acebo is Spanish for Holly (it's also masculine, but whatever); Jengibre is Spanish for Ginger, and Katia is Katie, the only obvious one...<strong>

**That said, for those of you wondering, "Will there be FerbxGraciela in this?" The answer is, heck no! Their relationship here is mostly professional, and while they do get along pretty well, everything there is platonic. I will not have any kind of Ferbetchen in my stories, no matter how subtle or one-sided, even if it is an AU. Sorry, that's just how I roll.**

**Carpe Diem!**


	3. Bilingual

**Hi everyone! Happy Halloween if you celebrate it, and happy November if you don't!**

**Review responses:**

**Phineas A: Yup. I'll indicate which dialogue is translated.**

**Red A: Yes, there will eventually be Phinabella (Or Perfenalia?). I'm not interesting Ferbella either.**

**Dreadwing216: O.o Actually, there are multiple awkward conversations in this chapter. Are you psychic or something? (*Uses Dark-Type move on you*) Pokémon fans will get that joke.**

**That same Guest: Hey! I make words up too! For example, a favorite between me and my bro is _Hedididejax_. It doesn't really mean anything, but sometimes we beatbox to it. The intentions of Ferb and Graciela will be revealed later. Also, I'm thinking of making all the chapters be around this length, if it's not too short.**

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><p>"Who was that?" Baljeet asked Ferb after his conversation with the Mexican girl. "What did she say?"<p>

Ferb could not answer. The boys were all exiting their daily OWCA meeting when he got the call. "That sounded like Graciela," Irving noted, rolling the 'R'. "Did you tell her I said hi?"

Silence answered them as Ferb had no way of explaining. He did not realize that some of the call had been in earshot of his friends.

"She was... Calling to see how Perfeneas is doing," he attempted. At least that was true. "You know her. Very curious."

"Oh, _very_," Buford agreed. "Man, girls can be _annoying_."

Ferb rolled his eyes at this. "Wait, why were you guys speaking in Spanish?" Balthazar asked, "I _know_ she speaks English too. Better than you know her native language."

"...Yeah," Irving added, catching on. "You always use _español_ when we're not talking with her, but you two have no problem speaking English when we are around. You _know_ we can't understand you."

Buford crossed his arms and stopped walking. "You hiding somethin'?" He asked suddenly. Ferb did not think the other boys would consider this, but unfortunately he was mistaken.

"What's going on, Ferb?" Django asked, "Why aren't we allowed to know what you're talking about?"

"You can tell us anything, you know," Balthazar added.

Ferb put his hands up, facing them. By this point, they had all stopped walking. "You are all being very nosy," he informed them. "I was letting the lady speak more easily."

"Oh, so it's like that, huh?" Irving challenged, pushing his glasses further up his nose. "Listen, buddy. That's my girl you're talking about. I'm going to ask you to politely _lay off_."

This took everyone by surprise. Not wanting to speak again, Ferb blinked at his suddenly defensive friend. "Oh, it's not like that?" The bespectacled one realized, "Um, o-o-kay then. I-I get it."

"So, you and Graciela, Irving?" Baljeet inquired, "Since when?"

"Well, since-since never, but... I'm just saying it'd be nice..."

Buford, seeing this opportunity, feigned a large amount of pressure pushing him to the ground. He held his hands to the sides of his head and fell onto his knees. "So... Much... Nerdiness!" He announced, "Buford can't take it!"

The other five eyed each other and started walking again. "So, who is up for ice cream?" Baljeet asked, a faint "No! Too much!" growing farther away with each step.

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><p>Cansummace was in her room, sulking. She had tried and tried to achieve her brother's level of perfection, but even with someone there to show her how, she lacked the strength and the will to do everything he could. She sat on her colorless bed, surrounded by an all-white room which she insisted was identical to Perfeneas's.<p>

Doofenshmirtz opened the door a little, found her unhappy, and walked inside. "Hey," he started. "What's got you down now?"

The teen sighed. "Perfeneas is leaving soon, right?" She asked, not bothering to look at him.

"In a couple of days, yes," Heinz confirmed. "We're all going to come watch him win for our country, and then I can use him to help me take over the _entire Tri-State Area! _Then we'll all be living the good life."

Doofenshmirtz always got like this when talking about Perfeneas. Cansummace was used to it, but never believed he was serious. She finally met his gaze.

"Not me," she claimed, "Not until I'm like him."

"But honey, I told you that can't happen. Listen, you're a good girl, and all your family and friends love you for who you are. Besides, who would want to be like him?" He nodded towards the door. "Us people, we have more fun."

The scientist felt as if he were talking to a failed -Inator. Cansummace balled her fists. "Not the right kind of fun," she mumbled. Doofenshmirtz thought for a few seconds.

"Perfeneas," he called. No one answered. "Come here!"

When the boy failed to appear a second time, Cansummace said, "The walls are soundproofed. He can't hear you."

"Oh, that's right," Doofenshmirtz realized. "See? You're even smarter than I am."

The teen lit up. "I am?"

"Sure," Doofenshmirtz said, walking towards the door. "Now wait here and I'll get your brother."

Cansummace, although reluctantly, did as she was told.

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><p>Graciela was finally doing it. Claiming she was on a special mission for OSBAM, and using some of the technology said organization permitted her to use, the girl had successfully infiltrated Flight 203 to the Tri-State Area and had remained hidden for a whole hour after takeoff. Ferb and the boys would be impressed.<p>

She snagged an open seat next to a sleeping man, deciding that if the need arose for identification they looked similar enough to be related. Graciela had flown before, usually on family trips, and was used to the sights and sounds of the aircrafts. She fixed her beret and sash, the OSBAM equivalents to OWCA's fedora. Out of habit mostly, and since she had nothing better to do, the girl was currently reading the emergency evacuation cards in the pocket of the seat in front of her. She liked reading the text in English, then in Spanish, and comparing the grammar of both languages, reading one as she would read the other, coming up with funny and out-of-order sentences.

She could not see Isealia from where she was sitting, for she and her mother were travelling first class and under protection by security. It was not important to keep an eye on her; in fact, Graciela preferred her seat. It meant Isealia could not see her. A flight attendant approached.

"Would you like some cookies, pretzels, or peanuts?" She offered, pushing a cart full of snacks and such down the isle.

"Thank you no," Graciela denied, forgetting for a moment which language she was speaking. She saw what else was there and asked, "Take a box of juice?"

The attendant was puzzled at what Graciela was asking, then realized there was a language barrier involved. "Oh, yes. Here you go."

"Thank you."

The heavy man next to Graciela shifted, and his eyes slowly opened. He looked around, startled to find the girl next to him, and quietly exclaimed something in Spanish.

"Oh, I'm sorry for waking you, sir," the lady in the aisle apologized. "Would you like some cookies, pretzels, or peanuts?"

The man just looked nervously back and forth between the two, not comprehending the situation. The attendant turned to Graciela. "Is this man your father?" She inquired.

Graciela looked at him, determined that he was not bilingual, and said, "Yes."

Suspicious, the woman asked the man about his relationship with Graciela; he did not know how to answer.

"Does he speak English?" She whispered to the girl, who confirmed that he did not. "Then could you ask him for me? You know how airline security is, and I don't speak your language."

"Excuse me," Graciela started in fluent Spanish, turning to him. "You do not know me, correct? I am a complete stranger to you?"

The man nodded quickly, confused by the ordeal.

"Oh, okay," the flight attendant dismissed, "_Just making sure_." And she left, heading back down the aisle.

Graciela turned sharply to her partner. She withdrew a badge and showed it to him, whispering urgently, "Agent G of MOWCA, or the Mexican Organization Without a Cool Acronym. Do _not_ make me do that again, do you hear me?"

He wholeheartedly agreed. "Good," Graciela said, crossing her legs and taking a sip of her juice box. "Now go back to sleep." The whole time, it never occurred to her that she was too young for this job.


	4. Invisible

**Hi there! Here's an update for y'all. Sorry it's kinda short, but it's still important. XD**

**Review responses:**

**Phineas A: Not to worry! There's plenty of Perfeneas in this chapter. And while Isealia will not appear for a while, rest assured I have not forgotten about her.**

**Dreadwing 216: Thank you! I will. :)**

**Red A: Doofenshmirtz isn't really a good guy or a bad guy. He's a nuetral guy, I guess, just like the one from the show. He's evil, but he's nice to Perfeneas and Cansummace because (in this story anyway) he engineered them.**

**Enjoy!**

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><p>Doofenshmirtz, followed by Perfeneas, stood outside Cansummace's door. "Alright," Doof started, "It's about time you learn what I have been teaching your brother. Come, come."<p>

The girl's face lit up. "I am coming like you requested!" She announced.

The children followed Doofenshmirtz into the lab, where Ferb and his team were scattered about. Some of the boys waved. "So, as you know, us three are going to be leaving in a couple days." He put a hand on the failed experiment's shoulder. "Cansummace here wants to do something with you before we go. You got any plans?"

The boys looked to each other. "Usually Perfeneas comes up with them," stated Baljeet, "Based on the events of the time period before his inspiration."

Everyone looked at Perfeneas. "There is not yet enough stimuli provided by this situation to decide what to do today," he admitted. "One cannot simply summon creativity."

"Well, that's true," Cansummace said defeatedly, turning back towards her room. She was stopped by Ferb, who cut her off and handed her a wrench and some supplies. "What's this for?" She asked, watching as the boy handed his comrades various parts. He gave Perferneas a blueprint.

The redhead, knowing from experience that Ferb wanted him to announce the plan, declared, "These are the blueprints for an invisibility device. It appears to be a fun idea. Let us build one." He did not stop smiling. "I will teach Cansummace how to do it properly, as she has expressed desire for me to do so in the past."

"Awesome!" Cansummace yipped, ready to begin.

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><p><em>Done<em>, Ferb thought, drilling the final screw into place. He stood back to admire the group's work. The machine was similar to one of Doofenshmirtz's inventions, looking not unlike a large laser beam. The doctor himself was watching from a distance, proud to have an assembly of workers doing the dirty work for him. Whenever Ferb's team left and the machine they built was still there, he would often attempt to use it for Tri-State Area conquest as long as Perfeneas was not around. It always became destroyed by the platypus, though, and Doofenshmirtz could never figure out why...

Next to him was Cansummace who, after a few minutes joining her brother's friends in their antics, found the ordeal to be displeasing to her and felt as if they should be punished.

Ferb felt the miniature version of the ray in his back pocket. No one had seen him make it, and no one was going to see him use it. One by one, the children stepped under the influence of the invention and basically had a field day - playing pranks on the visible spectators, participating in hide-and-seek and Marco Polo - until it was time for the boys to go home. Some of them chose to become visible via the invention, others decided to wait for the effects to wear off. Still, a roll call was taken to make sure they were all there.

"Balthazar?"

"Here!"

"Django?"

"I'm here!"

"Buford?"

"He is giving we a wedgie," Baljeet explained, seemingly suspended in midair by his underpants.

"Ferb?"

"I am here."

"That should be everyone," Irving surmised. "Bye, guys!" He and the other children left, and Perfeneas and Cansummace were dismissed to their respective rooms to do something productive.

"Perfect!" Dr. Doofenshmirtz exclaimed. "Now, I will use this ingenious machine to sneak into City Hall, steal the papers proving Roger's mayorship, and then instate myself in his position! It's foolproof."

After the monologue, Doofenshmirtz stalked over to the machine and tried to activate it. For some reason, it would not function properly. "Hm, that's not right." Perry, holding the unplugged cord, snickered to himself. "Maybe I should tell those guys to come back. Have Perfeneas and Ferb take a look at-"

"I am here."

"What?" Doofenshmirtz turned towards the sound, but it did not continue. "That sounded a whole lot like Ferb's voice..." He said to himself, thinking that he was finally losing it.

"I am here."

"Oh, I knew I wasn't crazy," the scientist celebrated. "So, you've chosen to stay here and assist me in my evil plan? You, my boy, have chosen wisely! Now, Ferb, come here and fix the mach-"

"I am here."

Doofenshmirtz blinked. "Yes, you've established that," he said, starting to lose patience. "Come turn yourself visible and help me please?"

A period of silence answered him.

"Listen, I know you don't talk a lot, but you can at least stop ignoring me."

Nothing happened.

"Ferb! Are you going to help me or not?"

"I am here."

"Yes, I _know_ that!" Doofenshmirtz approached the source of the voice. "Don't make me come there and find you, Ferb!"

"I am here."

"Of course you - hold on a sec. Why does your voice sound the same every time, Ferb?"

"I am here."

Doofenshmirtz thought for a while. "Let me try something. Ferb."

"I am here."

"Ferb."

"I am here."

The evil scientist moved ever closer to the voice, which seemed to be coming from the couch. "Ferb."

"I am here."

Finally, the doctor swept at the space on the sofa, expecting to feel the boy on it. Surprisingly, he only grasped air. "Alright, where are you, _Ferb_?"

"I am here."

Doofenshmirtz looked underneath the piece of furniture, finding a small, metal, jewelry box-sized contraption on the ground. On its sides were speakers, and on the top, a little screen above a microphone. "Ferb," Doofenshmirtz said into the mic.

"I am here," the speakers repeated in Ferb's unmistakable British accent.

"Why, that little-" Doof started, "Where did he go!?"

Hidden behind the machine, Perry was grinning up a storm at Doofenshmirtz's stupidity. While he had not put the box there, he recognized the OWCA technology and was proud.

On the other hand, he was utterly terrified. Where _was_ Ferb?

* * *

><p>Flight 203 finally touched down at Jefferson County Airport. Graciela, reluctantly assisted by her huge "father," stepped out of the gate and into the humid air of Danville, USA. "Gah, it's like you can drink the air here," the OSBAM - er, MOWCA agent complained. Her companion did not understand, so she fell back into Spanish. "Well, we're off the plane now, so you're no use to me. 'Course, I would erase your memory of meeting me, but MOWCA prides themselves on being the least amount of cliché possible. Then again, what's more cliché than an OC turning into the main antagonist? Can't take that chance..."<p>

"May I interrupt?" The man asked sheepishly.

"Apparently."

"Well, I just want to say, I'm more of an extra with a speaking role than a legitimate OC."

"It doesn't matter. I can't have you compromising my cover, and you're not following me around on this mission." She pinched the bridge of her nose. "You know what? Fine, I'll let you go. Most of the people here don't understand you anyway."

"Oh, thank you miss. I swear on my badge I won't breathe a word about this to anyone."

Graciela stopped. "Your badge?"

"Yes, yes," the man opened up his wallet and showed her his certification. "I am meeting another police officer here in the States to investigate a case down at the border."

"So, you work for the government, too."

"Yes, that's right," he smiled.

Graciela deadpanned. "Why didn't you stinking say so?" She asked, relieved. "In that case, good day, officer."

"To you too, miss," the man dismissed. The two saluted each other and went on their ways.

_I can't believe that guy,_ Graciela thought._ Thank goodness I'm not _actually_ related to him._


	5. Secret

**I hope I'm not painting Ferb and Graciela in a bad light. Just for clarification, they _are_ the good guys, they're just going about their self-assigned missions in ways that aren't _that _legal.**

**Review responses!**

**Dreadwing216: Actually, it already has! If you are reading this, and this goes for everyone, you have my gratitude for making this my most popular story so far on the site. Carpe Diem!**

**Guest Again: You're right. What I meant was, Doof is a bad guy, he's just not the main antagonist (...Or is he?). Also, yes, genetics may not control all aspects of personality, but it plays a part here. Why? My excuse is, it's science fiction. There's a phrase that goes "Nature vs. Nurture," which I think is what you're talking about, and it does have a role in this story as well. Multiple people have noticed that P and I are extremely obedient too, which is something I have been trying to establish. However, someone like them should know exactly to whom it's okay to give your obedience and who will only try to take advantage of you. I never meant to make the story seem race- or gender-heavy, and it was never in my interest to make points about anything that could offend anybody. As stated above, this story is my most popular so far, but it is also probably my most controversial. For now, your fear is valid, but my hope is to soon remove any reason to think that way.**

**Phineas A: Alright. I'll try to do that.**

**Red A: What is known as the fourth wall is actually the absence of said wall. In a play, there are typically three walls surrounding the stage and one in the back of the room behind the audience. Therefore, the audience can only see the three walls. When a character in a play, or any other piece of fiction, acknowledges that the audience is there or even speaks to it, they are acknowledging the fact that there is no fourth wall separating them. Hence, breaking the fourth wall.**

**Phinfan101: Um, okay... Are you laughing at me, or am I missing something?**

**Enough ranting. On with the chapter!**

* * *

><p>As an OWCA agent, Ferb was given access to a variety of different technologies. Grappling hooks, Monkey Wrenches, hang gliders, wrist communicationizers, fedoras, you name it. Among these was a motor bike, spray painted green, purple, and cream, which he was currently taking full-speed to a location disclosed to him by Graciela. He gripped the invisible handlebars tightly, feeling the wind course through his thick green hair beneath the crisp secret agent hat, his determined expression reminding him of that of a Tatooinian <em>racin' turbo dust bikes<em>.

Yes. He stood by that metaphor.

It was the twenty-eighth of June. Three days until his plan would come to fruition and Perfeneas and Isealia finally knew. They'd finally be enlightened to everything that really went on in their world. Everything about themselves that was being kept from them. He crawled to a stop on the sidewalk in front of the Hidden Oak Hotel, the energetic hum of his bike slowly receding into a steady putter. He flipped off the miniature global positioning system in the small dashboard, simultaneously pushing out the kickstand with his left heel. Making sure he was unnoticed, the boy finally retrieved his invisibility pistol and reused it on the precious motorbike, renewing the time it had to retain invisibility, then ran behind the building and turned it on himself again. In his absence, an unsuspecting passerby walked into the vehicle before dizzily continuing his trek.

To avoid suspicion, Ferb entered the building with a family of four. He made sure to stray off the rug and onto the tile floor of the lobby, so that his footfalls did not appear.

The boy entered the elevator the same way he entered the hotel. Once the lift emptied, he pushed the button to take him up to his own destination. A small crowd awaited at the top, but he was able to push through them and jogged the hallways to the specified room, room K203.

Pressing an invisible eye up to the hole in the door, Ferb realized he could not see more than a foot or so into the room. He would have to trust that his friend had the right location. He rasped his hand against the door in Morse code, spelling his name. Seconds passed. He raised his hand to try again when the door opened, finally revealing Graciela.

"Where en el mundo were you?" She snapped, assuming her partner was there. "Come in, quickly."

"It's nice to finally meet you in person, too," Ferb mused. He felt the ray in his back pocket. "Ready?"

Graciela exhaled. "Am." Ferb mentally corrected her English and fired the beam. "Wow, that worked," Graciela noted. "Now I can quit hiding around here with only _this_ thing's cloaking device to help me." She gestured towards her wrist communicationizer, knowing and just as well not caring that Ferb could not see it. "Do not know about you, but my country doesn't use that technology often. Are the effects temporary?"

She paused. "Can not see you when you shake your head."

Graciela could not see it, but knowing Ferb she got the feeling that the next period of silence was occupied by a pair of lowered eyebrows. "_I_ can not see you. Happy?"

"Yes. And they are temporary."

One would think there was a draft in the empty hotel room; it was actually Graciela sighing. "Okay. And for the record, it is nice to finally meet you in person."

She extended a hand a bit too far, and heard a puff of air escape the boy in front of her. "Ooh, sorry," she apologized sincerely. "I, uh, forgot how tall you are."

Ferb bent forward, righted his breathing, and then put a hand up to indicate he was okay. "Ow!" Graciela whined, finding that Ferb had accidentally smacked her upside the head. "Okay, now are even. And do not say anything about the subject pronouns. Am working on them!"

_Obviously_, Ferb thought.

"Know what? Let's just get on with the mission. Isealia y - _and_ - Dr. García-Shapiro left a few minutes ago to get some food and acquaint themselves to the town. Have been spying on them for a while. Nothing out of the ordinary yet, so we should be in the clear. Hey! Am using American lingo!"

Silence.

"You don't care. Got it. So, may we?" She was referring to the next phase of their mission. Ferb - albeit with some difficulty - led his partner out of the building and to the invisible motorbike. The fun part was near.

* * *

><p>Perfeneas and Cansummace were in the middle of their series of chores when Doofenshmirtz answered the door. In front of it stood a fully visible MOWCA Agent Graciela and a not-as-visible Ferb. "Excuse me," the girl started, "I am a friend of Perfeneas's. He invited me over for a while... Can I come in?"<p>

Ferb had previously made sure Perfeneas was expecting his friends' MOWCA counterpart, and had even prepared a place for her to stay multiple nights if necessary; Graciela had done the same for Ferb with Isealia. However, Doofenshmirtz was not informed of this. "Um, who are you? Per-Perfeneas isn't really supposed to have outside friends." He made sure to say this quietly so the boy would not hear from across the apartment.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Graciela congratulated herself on not only nailing the subject pronoun but also using it in a contraction. "I was told that I would be let in. Guess sho - _I_ should just go."

"Yeah, maybe you should," Doofenshmirtz agreed. "I can ask him right now if he wants to see you. You better not be selling something."

"Okay, you can ask him," Graciela allowed. "In fact, want me to call him?" She raised her voice. "Perf-"

"Shush, shush!" Doofenshmirtz shushed. "Alright. Perfeneas, front and center!"

The boy was taught that Doofenshmirtz's immediate demands took precedence over a job that could be attended to later. "I am present and you have my attention," he stated.

"Hey, kiddo. You recognize this girl here? She says she's your friend. What's she want?"

"This is Graciela," Perfeneas introduced with a smile. "Yes, I was expecting her. She requested to remain here for two nights. With your permission, she should be allowed in."

Content, Graciela thrust an arm in Perfeneas's direction. "See? I just wanted to meet him in person, is all."

Doofenshmirtz contemplated the situation. "Why didn't you tell me about this?" He asked the boy skeptically.

"Cansummace overheard the conversation and insisted she tell you of Graciela's visiting. From the context of the scenario, I conclude that she did not do so."

"You darn right, she didn't tell me. Well, if all of this is true, then..." He looked back and forth between them. "I guess I'll-"

"Hey, excuse me?" Irving started, appearing in the doorway. "I forgot my UPAFDS, can I - wait, Graciela?"

Ferb stood outside the door, holding the also-invisible digital compilation of the group's machines. Graciela turned to Irving and saw the opportunity. "Oh, hello, Irving. How have you been?"

The boy stood there, dumbstruck and momentarily forgetting, once again, the reason he was there. "Uh, good! I'm good. Very-very good. How are you? What are you... Doing here?"

"Well, I had a date with Perfeneas-"

"No!" Irving wailed, "No no no no nooo! First Ferb, now you too? Why!? Why must everyone want what I do?"

The OWCA agent had dropped to his knees in dramatization at this point.

"Did I say anything wrong?" Graciela asked, "I meant - oh, right, 'date' has a double meaning. I had an _appointment_ with Perfeneas. Is that better?"

Irving, still on his knees and holding his hands in the air in a pleading position, moved only his facial features when continuing. "...Yeah." He awkwardly stood back up.

"So, am I welcome to come in, mister..?"

"Doofenshmirtz. Doctor Doofenshmirtz." The evil scientist turned toward his one success. "Yes, I suppose," he allowed.

"Great! Can I stay too?" Irving begged.

Doof sighed. "Sure, why not?"

Outside the door, Ferb faintly smiled. He moved away from the door, sprinted out the building, and rode to the other side of the Tri-State Area. But not before leaving a visible UPAFDS at the doorstep.


	6. Missing

**Hi there. You know, today I think I'm just going to skip to the...**

**Review Responses! (That didn't work, did it?)**

**Dreadwing 216: Thank you. Care to see?**

**Guestimation: Yes, I suppose Perfeneas and Isealia should naturally be different. Though this is AU, I have to try to keep them as in-character as the storyline allows. Also, the reason I can afford to use so much Spanish in this story - or any, really - is, because I had to move school districts once, I ended up taking the first year of Spanish class twice. ¿Divertido, no? (Yes, that was me being sarcastic in a foreign language. No judging! Jk.)**

**Phineas A: Graciela is not dating anyone. Sorry for any confusion.**

**Enjoy!~**

* * *

><p>Isealia was putting her possessions away in drawers not being used by Vivian. She only packed a few changes of clothes, her hairbrush that she was told to bring but never needed to use, a toothbrush of the same sort, a long-sleeved undershirt and long pants in case the nights in the new country were too cold, and a set of pajamas. The rest was provided by Dra. García-Shapiro. Naturally, once everything was put away, she left to find something else to do; this search was answered by a sharp knocking on the hotel room door.<p>

Vivian looked through the eyehole and spotted a rather peculiar-looking boy. "Isealia," she started, and continued in Spanish, "Graciela's friend is here. She said he has green hair, right?"

The girl perked up. "Yes, that is what Graciela said about his hair." Quietly, she smiled and started toward the door.

Vivian trusted the OSBAM agent would not send an imposter to the girl mere days before her test. "Okay. You may let him in," she allowed, and Isealia did so.

The boy blinked, half-smiled back, and waved. "Hola, chico," Vivian started. Ferb did not answer, so she pushed harder. "What is your name?"

"Ferb," the boy replied casually, as he and Graciela had previously decided it was okay to use his preferred alias.

"...Y?" Vivian asked, after a while, and Ferb chuckled at the sound. Dra. García-Shapiro only spoke her native language, and he found her accent amusing for some reason.

"Graciela told me she sent him to further prepare me for the test. She also said we should familiarize ourselves with one another. How are you feeling?"

Ferb was almost startled by the resemblance between Isealia's tone and Perfeneas's. Excluding the language barrier, and the proper nouns, Ferb could imagine his friend saying the same thing. "Fine. Thank you," he stated.

Vivian smiled. "Won't you come in?" She invited, and Ferb hoped Graciela was having as much success as he was.

* * *

><p>Graciela peered about the apartment. It had an interesting green and dark purple color scheme (Where had she seen <em>that<em> before?), and triangles adorned the floor and walls.

"So, Phin-" at her mistake, Graciela began coughing violently. "Perfeneas. Yes. That is your name, not what I was accidentally going to say before."

"I wish you good health," the experiment bid, in response to her faux hacking. He did not react to the obvious.

From her experience with Isealia, Graciela instinctively thanked him for the gesture, and he politely responded with the appropriate "You are welcome." His somewhat suspicious ability to disarm was the only thing that kept that routine from becoming a annoyance whenever someone caught a cold or such. "What were you going to ask?"

_He's just like Isealia_, Graciela thought. "Was wondering if you would show me some things. What do you usually do around here?"

"It typically depends on the time of day. With so much to do, there isn't a single minute that can afford to go to waste."

To demonstrate his point, and his musical abilities, Perfeneas began spontaneously preforming:

_You'd think it's real hard to be a perfect guy_  
><em>To never make people mad or see 'em start to cry.<em>  
><em>But if you need my opinion, I'll gladly comply;<em>  
><em>This is the truth: value youth; 'cause I can never tell a lie<em>

_And it's never the same, every day is a game_  
><em>Play your cards right, roll the dice, and maybe you'll win<em>  
><em>Don't mess up, just fess up, move your pawn back to 'go'<em>  
><em>Life is good as you make it. I'll show where to begin!<em>

(The tempo picked up, and Perfeneas began using hard rock-type instruments.)

_Brush your teeth! Eat right! Complete the day's work by night!  
>Wash dishes! Clean clothes! Vacuum where nobody goes!<br>Exercise! Don't compromise! Sleep enough to energize!  
>Born of science! Raised with light! Perfection means to do the right!<em>

(The tempo and instruments immediately returned to normal.)

_It's a grand ordeal, a dream come true  
>Listen, I'll explain to you<br>'Seize the day,' that's what they say  
>And 'xactly what I plan to do!<em>

__'Cause it's never the same, every day is a game_  
><em>Play your cards right, roll the dice, and maybe you'll win<em>  
><em>Don't mess up, just fess up, move your pawn back to 'go'<em>  
><em>Life is good as you make it. I'll show where to begin!<em>_

Graciela gawked. "Well..." She started, "How long have you been practicing that?"

"I made up the lyrics and instrumental parts when you asked what I do every day. I was asked to write a song a day. They don't have to be long, but I have to write and preform them."

"So you just improvised the whole thing?"

"Yes. Yes, I did."

That was not one of the things she saw in Isealia. Her friend sang sometimes, but it was not every day and it was not assigned. Graciela blinked again. "Okay, then." It was all she could think to say.

* * *

><p>Since Cansummace was in the area when the doorbell rang, she opened the door. She looked up to see who it was and stepped back, then smiled, "Hi, Vanessa."<p>

"Cansummace!" The visitor returned the gesture. Behind her were five other teens: Stacy, Jenny, Mandy, Lacie, and Eliza. "It's been too long. How are you and your brother?" She stumbled slightly on the 'your'.

"We're doing well. Perfeneas is going to be tested in a couple of days and-and I'm going with him." She cocked her head. "What are you six doing here? I haven't seen you in, like, _years_. Come in."

They quietly stepped inside the room. "We just wanted to see how you two were faring for the test," Vanessa explained. "Where is y-your, um, dad?"

"Inside with Fen." Cansummace jabbed a finger deeper into the apartment. "Some of Ferb's friends are in there too."

"Great. I'm going to ask if we can stay awhile." Vanessa walked off suddenly, faintly nodding to Stacy.

"O-kay..."

"Cansummace!" Stacy, as per the agents' plan, ran up to the experiment and briefly hugged her. "How's it going? I didn't see you for so long!" She feigned a gasp. "And your braces are off! Come on everyone, let's go catch up." She pushed Cansummace to the other side of the apartment, and the other four giddily followed.

Perfeneas, Irving, and Graciela were all chatting about various topics, and Vanessa avoided their spotting her. She approached the evil scientist, whose back was to her, and cleared her throat.

He turned. "Hey, what do you - Vanessa!"

His pupils dilated and he suddenly smiled. Vanessa, Stacy, and the others were Cansummace's equivalent to the teams led by Graciela and Ferb, and after it was discovered that Cansummace was insufficient, Vanessa's team was dismissed from their obligations concerning her. They continued their OWCA training, and still cared for their friend, but could not keep visiting her.

"Vanessa, why are you here?" Doofenshmirtz asked. She was one of the only people whose company he enjoyed for some reason, but her presence was a pleasant surprise.

The teen looked around the room, making sure the other children could not hear her. "I've received word that Agent Ferb has gone AWOL. Even the satellite tracker on his fedora is out. We've been dispatched to look for him. Do you have any leads?"

The smile disappeared. "I haven't seen him since earlier today." Doofenshmirtz turned and retrieved the boxlike contraption Ferb used before and gave it to the other agent. "He left this thing here. Can you make anything of it?"

"I know what this is. It's used to simulate a voice. If he put this here to distract everyone, he must have escaped while he was here." She looked stern. "How did you lose him?"

"He was invisible! How was I supposed to know he-"

"Sh!" Vanessa reminded Heinz to be quiet, and led him away from the others. "How is that so? We don't have cloaking technology."

"Oh, he used that machine over there." Doofenshmirtz pointed to the invention that was not yet destroyed but was no longer functioning properly. "He and his friends invent stuff like that every day."

"...Okay. Actually," Vanessa thought for a moment. "Do you have any lemon juice on you?"

"I might. Why would you need that?"

"Lemon juice can reverse invisibility. You ever heard of invisible ink?"

"Invisible, Inc." Doofenshmirtz considered this. "There's actually a company for that?"

"No, that's not what I meant. If we have enough, we can trace his footprints to wherever he is."

"Well, it's a good thing the boys made this the other day, then." Doofenshmirtz whipped a king-sized sheet off another creation. "Behold! The Miscellaneous Fruit Juice-Inator!"

"Great. Now, send those kids to their respective bedrooms and we'll take care of the rest."

This was desirable. Whatever was going on, Doofenshmirtz wanted no part in it. Perfeneas, Graciela, and Irving went into the younger redhead's room, and a grumbling Cansummace shuffled into her own. Vanessa approached her group.

"Alright, ladies," she began. "Here's the plan..."

* * *

><p><strong>Woah, twist! Who is Vanessa in this story and how does she fit in with the rest of the characters? Let the speculating begin!<strong>


	7. Progressive

**Hi there! Long-ish chapter today! You may notice I'm excited. Why? The new Pokémon games are coming out now! (*does fist pump*)**

**Review**** responses:**

**Phineas A: Hm... I don't really have a name for it. Sorry.**

**Dreadwing216: Thanks! And it might. Depending on how you define the word.**

**Guest v1.0.6: I'm not really sure what you mean by that about the POV story. And I mostly put the songs in to keep stories P&F-esque. Thank you for reviewing!**

* * *

><p><em>*A-gents V, S, J, L, M, and E!*<em>

Vanessa, Stacy, Jenny, Lacie, Mandy, and Eliza all lined up on their respective vehicles, spray painted to match the color schemes of each, at the foot of the Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated building. The other five, viewed from eye level, peeked out from behind Vanessa in a formation that resembled the first letter of the lead agent's name.

"Stacy," Agent V commanded from her jet-black motorbike. "You know what to do."

Agent S nodded and rode ahead of the others, dispensing from the back of her scooter a thin stream of lemon juice.

"That's just wrong," Lacie whispered to Vanessa, who then reminded Stacy to evaporate the juice before using it.

Once that was done correctly, the agent rode in a circle around the space in front of them. A faint line appeared on the ground, revealing invisible tire tracks.

"Invisible tire tracks?" Jenny wondered, "How can something still be invisible if it's been revealed?"

No, not tracks that are invisible. Tracks made by invisible tires. Excuse me for not clarifying.

"Ooh, feisty narrator today!" Mandy declared. Then, she fell off her scooter.

"Ow! Like I said! Feisty."

Hey, I'm not feisty. I'm just having some fun.

"Terribly sorry to interrupt, but will you please stop arguing with the fourth wall?" Eliza informed, "It's not terribly ladylike."

It's not?

Mandy got up. "No, it's not. How about you go back to narrating now?"

Okay. Say, what do you call it when a character acknowledges that there even _is_ a fourth wall? Would that be breaking the fifth wall, or-

"Narrate!" All six agents insisted.

Okay! A faint line appeared on the ground, revealing inv - I mean, tracks made by invisible tires.

"Ferb went that way," Vanessa declared, pointing in the direction of the tracks. "Stacy, ride ahead of the rest of us and clear up the path."

Stacy, Vanessa's second-in-command and the closest one to Cansummace, sped off. The rest followed close behind.

* * *

><p>Dra. García-Shapiro and Isealia were told that Ferb would be helping them. That he would answer their questions. That they could depend on him. Instead, it seemed to be the other way around.<p>

Nightfall had settled by now, and the ladies were well past asleep. They had shared a bed, letting Ferb take the other out of respect for the guest on the experiment's part and a slight but growing distrust of him on Vivian's. The boy silently opened the room's sliding glass door, leading to a small balcony. He grasped the railings with tired hands and closed his large, stoic eyes, taking in the beautiful summer night.

Slowly, he took a seat at a plastic deck chair and produced a logbook. He smiled at the pages as he flipped through the first half of it. Those were filled with photos and two-dimensional memorabilia of all his adventures and inventions with Perfeneas and his friends. He wondered briefly if the experiment should be considered a part of that group, and if not, what he would be to Ferb. 'Friend' seemed so much less and so much more than their relationship simultaneously. They were assigned to work and play together, but could not do so when they chose. Ferb always enjoyed his company, and while he did not know if Perfeneas was capable of possessing his own emotion, he was positive the redhead felt the same. Ferb rubbed two fingers along a picture of the boys next to each other and debated whether or not the smile on the triangle's face was genuine or if it had been programmed to be there.

Of course it was real! Ferb did not let himself doubt this for long. Perfeneas and Ferb... Only half of the pair knew it, but technically, they were brothers. Stepbrothers, at that. Linda Flynn, the birthmother of Perfeneas and Cansummace, had eventually married Ferb's father. So they were brothers, and Cansummace was their sister. Only one of them was allowed to know.

The smile finally dissipated as he turned to the second half, a passcode-protected section reserved for mission logs, classified information concerning Perfeneas, and other documents proving Ferb's OWCA status and aiding in his endeavors for the organization. Here, the redhead was treated like an experiment, like an item, not like a person. Ferb never agreed to that. He always considered Perfeneas a living person, with his own thoughts, emotions, worries, and free will. Did he really have these? Possibly. But not as much as Ferb acted like he did. The British boy knew this, and did not care. He would treat his brother the way he would treat anyone else, within the restrictions of those controlling the experiment. For now, that is.

He exhaled, adding to the night air the warmth of his own breath. He wrote down some things he learned about Isealia and discreetly closed the book.

Ferb stood up and made to go back inside when his eyes caught something far away, on the ground. Movement. Of people. Normally, he would not be alarmed, but as he looked more closely his heart stopped for a split second and he immediately turned the outside light off. Ferb backed up against the wall, peered over the banister, and saw his suspicions confirmed.

Backlit by the headlights of her friends' motor scooters was Vanessa, or Agent V. Ferb immediately felt foolish for not considering that OWCA would not send a search party after him - even one of this size. He practically sprinted inside, trying his hardest not to wake anyone.

But it was in vain. Standing against the faint light slipping under the door from the hallway was the figure of Isealia. The ocean was calm tonight, but threatened to take someone under if they went too far out.

She spoke softly, with a voice that was surprisingly high-pitched but no less than pleasant. "I thought you were asleep," she stated. "Is the bed you were using uncomfortable?"

Ferb shook his head quickly, defensively throwing his hands up and in the process dropping his book. It flew to the floor like a released fish flopping back into the sea, its pages ruffling open. It landed faceup on the floor, open to the page with the picture of the boys Ferb was looking at before.

Isealia slowly turned her head to the side, asking, "Who was the other person in that picture?"

All at once, Ferb felt trapped. He could not tell her who he was. "It's... It's a secret," he insisted.

"I do not recognize the name Asecret." Isealia closed her eyes and shook her head gently at the floor.

Not wanting to reveal anything else at this time and place, especially what a secret was and how many have been kept from her, Ferb let Isealia temporarily believe that was the name of the boy. "Wait, why are you speaking English?" He inquired instead.

"I noticed your accent. You are not from Mexico at all, are you? You never said you were."

Ferb silently declined. Then, taking advantage of her uncanny sense of obedience, instructed her to go back to sleep. Casting a slightly worried glance out the back door, Ferb made sure the room was securely locked and did the same.

* * *

><p>"Check it out. A hotel," Stacy observed, riding ahead, "Think we could stay there awhile?"<p>

"It looks like we are," Jenny noted. The six parked their vehicles outside and followed the faintly glowing footsteps in.

"Well, look at this place. Eliza, do me a favor and see if you can get us a room, please," Vanessa requested, and Eliza left to do so. "Mandy. Lemon juice, stat. Thank you."

Vanessa accepted the bucket and began to slowly empty its contents onto the rug.

_"What are you doing!?"_

Startled, Vanessa dropped the juice and looked to the source of the voice. Behind a concerned-looking Eliza, the hotel manager was fuming. "What is that?"

"Oh, uh, my apologies. We're working for the O.W.C.A.," Vanessa introduced, holding up her identification. "We're looking for someone. You didn't see a green-haired British boy come in earlier today, have you?"

The manager crossed his arms.

"I didn't think so." Vanessa explained, "He was invisible when he came in and we're tracing his footsteps with this lemon juice. Watch this."

With that, the teen retrieved the bucket, flung its contents across the narrow rug, and waited.

And waited.

When still nothing happened, the manager became enraged again. "If he walked on the carpet, they're supposed to show up. I don't get it." Vanessa furrowed her brow.

"Of course it won't show up! What, are we in some kind of sci-fi novel? I don't need some teenagers coming in and ruining my rug. I don't know what you think you're doing for this Polish sheep, but don't do it here." The manager pointed at the front door. "Get out!"

"But-"

"Now!"

Vanessa opened her mouth to speak again, but decided against it. "Okay." The six trudged out of the hotel, then made their way to the vehicles, Vanessa to her bike and the rest to their respective scooters. Stacy powered hers on, with a hanging head, and out of the corner of her eye something grabbed her attention.

"Hey, look, guys!" She pointed to the still-glowing footprints leading away from the door. "He left the hotel. We can still find him!"


	8. Speedy

**...And I'm two days late. Yeesh. Well, happy late Thanksgiving and such. If you're into that.**

**Review responses:**

**Dreadwing216: Thank you. I think. And yes, P+I will happen... Eventually. It's just taking a while for them to meet and such.**

**Phineas A: I'm going to go with a long story. It's already, what? 12k+ words?**

* * *

><p>"Are you completely sure about this?" Eliza inquired, wincing a bit at the thought of her friend's endeavor.<p>

"It's the only way I can think to find him." Vanessa grunted, reaching for the next rung. The telephone pole sure seemed shorter from the ground...

"Vanessa, this is crazy. We'll figure something else out," Lacie commented.

"Nope, only way. Be quiet, please..."

Lacie exhaled. How had no one considered Agent V's fear of heights? In an instant, she was able to scale the pole and retrieve the video camera that they would use to attempt hearing where the invisible bike went. Now, though, it did not seem that getting down would be accomplished easily.

Vanessa looked cautiously downward and slightly regretted it. She cringed at the task ahead of - or, more accurately, below - her and steeled her face. The next thing she felt was realization. "Wait, loophole! I'm not actually an acrophobe!" She announced.

"What?" The others asked, perplexed.

Vanessa tucked the camera under one arm and used the other to guide herself as she slid down the pole. "Yeah, turns out _I_ was never at the Tokyo Tower. AU technicality."

"Oh, yeah, that makes sense," Stacy figured.

* * *

><p>"Wait, what does you mean, I can not go?" Graciela demanded, "Thought you said I could stay with you."<p>

Doofenshmirtz narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "Are you aware of how important it is that we leave now? I'm telling you, a war can break out if anything goes wrong. If you really need me to, I can drive you home. How does that sound?"

"But... I..." Graciela began pouting, clasping her hands by her heart, and looked up at the doctor. Her pupils doubled in size to the point where they almost filled the rim of her glasses. "But I want to go.."

"Oh, oh, I get it. You're trying to guilt trip me, aren't you? Huh? It's not going to work."

Another glimmer was added to each of her eyes, then another. Finally, she faked a tear and knew she'd broken him.

"I-I - no, don't - ah! I know - I'll go fix that Invisinator so I don't have to look at you."

As Doofenshmirtz whimpered away, Graciela's face returned to its usual persistent state. "You have no heart, old man!" She called, frustrated. Obviously she was not getting her way. Obviously.

"Graciela! Did you want a ride somewhere?"

Graciela whipped around to find Irving swinging keys around on a chain. "...I _do_ own a motor scooter..."

A smile spread across the young girl's face. "Do you now?"

* * *

><p>Two hats fluttered around with the wind: one, a fedora; the other, a beret. "Follow that pharmacist!" Graciela held onto Irving in front of her and commanded the charge with the other.<p>

"What?" A confused Irving wondered.

"Sounded like a thing good to say. That was wrong."

"That's alright. Isn't this your first time in the U.S.?"

That had not even occurred to Graciela. "Yes. It is." Her sash flapped against her side.

"So, if you don't mind my asking, why did we turn invisible again?"

Graciela explained, "Well, if she can see us, we can not follow him, right?"

"Who's she?"

"He! I mean 'he'," Graciela corrected herself, alarmed. Irving just chuckled.

Nearby, another group was discussing their next action. "Now let's see if we can't find something to play this on - hey! Do you hear that?"

The sound of Irving's scooter trailed away from a certain telophone pole, at the bottom of which stood Vanessa and her team examining the tape. "He came back. Quick, follow him!"

Graciela turned sharply. "We have a tail!" She informed, and Irving advanced. He noticed the six at the apartment and knew that although they were not looking for him, he could not let himself get caught, for his friend's sake. Ferb's location was not a problem at the moment. Graciela wrapped both arms around her also-invisible partner tightly. "Ellas van más rápido. Speed up!" She whispered urgently, then mumbled, "Qiero mi bicicleta..."

Suddenly, all six pursuers skidded to a halt. Looking back, Graciela realized there must have been a red light. "Did just break the _law_?" She asked Irving, impressed and dissapointed simultaneously.

"...And where's your passport?" The boy countered, and she blinked.

"How did know?"

"You're missing a couple 'you's'," was all Irving gave for a response. Graciela should know better. If Irving took a liking to someone, he would learn everything there is to know about them. This is ignoring the fact that he had no clue she was a secret agent and thought that revealing his status as one - something she had learned from Ferb long ago - would actually impress her.

* * *

><p>Isealia seemed... Different today. Everything about her composure screamed that something was wrong. Vivian was not terribly worried, as she was still the perfect little girl she had come to be, but occasionally the scientist noticed that her smile appeared more genuine than ever before and that while her focus never veered from her training for the next day's event some other thought demanded her attention when she was not preoccupied.<p>

_What brought about this change?_ Vivian wondered, _Or, could it be... _Who_?_

Dra. García-Shapiro kept an eye on Ferb all day. The kid had also acted weird, constantly looking around as if someone was searching for him. She had her reasons for being suspicious, but blamed the thought mostly on her parental instinct to protect Isealia. That night she took extra care keeping her daughter close, far from the seemingly paranoid boy's influence.

Tomorrow was going to be their day. Isealia's time to shine. Her time to spread her wings and soar, demonstrating not only the success of her country but the stunning amount of metaphors that could possibly be attributed to that day.

And nothing was going to stop her.


	9. United

**Hi there! Before anything, I want to confirm that yes, as the name implies, this is indeed the chapter where Perfeneas and Isealia meet. It's one of my favorites so far and definitely the longest. But sorry for possible OOC-ness. And get ready for some fluff.**

**Review responses:**

**Dreadwing216: Wait no longer. You can see now!**

**Phineas A: Ah, well, you guessed right. And it never actually occurred to me that P&I is pi! Ya learn something new every day.**

* * *

><p>An extreme sense of anticipation filled the now silent air. Spectators lined the bleacher-like seats in the designated building, each with bated breath. One of these spectators was Doctor Doofenshmirtz himself, and another, the misfortuned Cansummace. In both their hearts they loved Perfeneas as family, and both dearly wanted the boy to win. Yet the older of them could not shake the feeling that something big was waiting to happen. Possibly something bad.<p>

The rectangular room was slightly smaller than expected for a place of such importance. On the other side of one of the long walls was another, identical room, filled with the family and researchers behind Isealia. Standing just in front of this wall on both sides were the two successful experiments, readily watching their respective audiences and waiting for instruction.

On the American side of the building, Perfeneas began smiling. It was not a new occasion; he did so often to improve the mood of whoever was surrounding him. Watching the boy were the two moderators of the test. "Povenmire," one of them called, "You ready?"

"You got it, Marsh."

The former then began pushing some buttons on the keyboard in front of him to start the first simulation. The people controlling Isealia's test did the same. If everything worked the way it was supposed to, the experiments would not see their viewers during the exam, courtesy of a one-way mirror-like glass wall between the stage and the viewing area. It could be toggled to activate or deactivate at any given time.

Isealia and Perfeneas, all ten years and seven months of them today, stood erect, moving only because the planet on which they lived was. Every molecule in their respective bodies was exactly in the right place. Their feet, shoulder-width apart; their hands, resting stiffly but relaxed at their sides. They were ready and they knew only one could come out with the title.

Irving and Graciela, now completely visible as the effect of the previous day's Invisinator blast had worn off, snuck into Isealia's room and met Ferb in the back. He, armed with his handheld invisibility pistol, took Graciela from Irving to move on with their plan. But an unexpected interference kept them from it.

"Ferb! Where are you going? Graciela, I thought-I thought we were going to watch the test together," Irving complained, visibly hurt.

The MOWCA agent smiled sympathetically at her fellow nerd. "Irving, secret agents don't just watch their best friend compete against that of her American counterpart. You should know that."

"Wha-You-What?" Irving stuttered, "You're a secret agent? And you know that I-"

"Oh, come on, Irving. It was so obvious. Just like everything about you." To prove her point, she took him by the shoulders and pecked him quickly on the cheek. "Now go on and enjoy the show."

Irving flushed a deep red and sheepishly touched the place of impact. "O-Okay," he stammered, then grinned, then beamed.

It was only seconds before the walls filled in on Isealia's side before the girl suddenly disappeared. Hardly a minute later, a different crowd gasped in unison at the sight of, then lack of sight of, Perfeneas. Doofenshmirtz and Cansummace in particular were shocked and slightly enraged at the event. "Where'd he go!?" Cansummace yelled, then to her father, added, "I'm going to find him. I'll find him and I'll bust him for... Whatever this is." Not heeding the scientist's demands, she pushed through the crowd, down the stairs, and collided head-on with another figure, pushing them both to the ground.

"Oh, sorry, I - Vanessa?"

"Cansummace!"

The younger of the two scrambled off her friend and helped her up. Vanessa's high-heeled boots clinked against the cold ground. "What are you doing here?" The failed experiment inquired, "Man, déjà vu-ish."

Vanessa exhaled. "I'm... Actually, I'm looking for Ferb. I'll explain why later."

"Ferb! Doesn't he have a thing for you?"

Vanessa's eyes opened wide in recognition. "Well, that's entirely awkward in every sense of the word. Again, I'll explain why later. Wait, do you hear that?"

Across the apparently metallic floor came the sounds of four pairs of feet scampering out of the room - but no one could be seen. The door opened, seemingly by itself, and the invisible runaways fled. "Follow them!" Vanessa commanded, and Cansummace obliged.

In the front room of the building, two of the four escapees let go of their respective kidnappees and sprinted behind a corner. The taller of the two retrieved his trusty invisibility pistol and, knowing somehow where his targets were, fired twice. "Wow, aim good," Graciela commented. Ferb blew a puff of air over the barrel in response. They directed their attention back to the two children they had taken: Perfeneas and Isealia.

After simply standing at attention, seeing the spectators all gasp in unison for no apparent reason, and being taken by some invisible hand, both felt as though the day would have a hard time getting any more abnormal. They did not voice this, as doing so would break a major rule in any cartoon (or FanFiction based on one) which, if broken, would result in the culprit immediately being proven wrong. But, they both felt it, so it still counted.

When Perfeneas opened his eyes, as he was recovering from a blink, he found himself suddenly looking into those of a peculiar stranger. When Isealia did this, she discovered the eyes of the one person she had been thinking about since two nights ago. They both simultaneously blinked again, unsure of what to make of this new development. Was this the first part of the test?

Without dropping the other's gaze, the two began circling each other, looking up and down their new acquaintance, evaluating them. Red hair. Blue highlights. Triangular, like the badges on her friends' sashes. Semicircular, like his sister. Straight teeth. Bright smile. White denim. Over-the-knee socks. Black shoes. Turtleneck dress. Fire. Water.

Perfection.

They stopped walking when they returned to their original position. They spoke only with their eyes, for a moment, deciding finally to trust the other person. Perfeneas was the first to lose his gaze and Isealia returned with a questioning look. Perfeneas blinked once more, then responded:

_To find the words to share my true thoughts, miss,  
><em>_Is to attempt to dispel global shame.  
><em>_Though not impossible, I can't dismiss  
><em>_My ignorance of your beautiful name._

Isealia paused and returned:

_I call myself Isealia, my good friend  
><em>_But do not bother introducing me.  
><em>_Asecret, I've admired you without end  
><em>_Since from Ferb's picture your face I've first seen._

P: _You flatter me, dear girl, but Ferb was wrong.  
><em>I: _My sincerest apologies are yours.  
><em>P: _I am Perfeneas, the kind and strong  
><em>_The one who, with all hope, will open doors._

Isealia stepped closer, realizing what she had done.

_If you are perfect, then we are the same._

Perfeneas closed the distance and embraced her. She hugged back.

_Isealia, calm yourself; life's but a game._

From his hiding place, Ferb processed their every move... And word. When he realized what exactly had transpired between the two, he nearly had to reach down to pick up his jaw. Graciela just stood there, hands over her mouth and tears almost falling from her sclera-less eyes. "Wow... That was beautiful... And he referenced the song..." She noted her friend's somewhat different than usual air of silence and whispered, "What?"

It took a while for Ferb to gather his thoughts. "The words... That was... The iambic pentameter... Oh, dear."

Graciela sent him an alarmed but inquiring look, aware that he could not see it.

Ferb explained, "That was a sonnet. The first words they spoke to each other were a sonnet. Do you not read Shakespeare?"

Graciela declined and Ferb deadpanned. "That was how Romeo and Juliet met. And we all know what happened to them."

As if in realization and recognition of the meaning of this, Graciela's eyes widened more and she clamped her mouth tighter. "Wait... What _did_ happen to them? ...And what are a sonnet?"

Graciela heard a sound come from the boy next to her which sounded a lot like a hand slapping one's own forehead in disbelief. "Should us come out now?" She inquired instead.

The door back into the main room finally opened, and in front of it stood an angry-looking Vanessa and Cansummace. "We may have to," Ferb replied, dragging the girl to their friends and taking off with them. Without looking to see if they were being followed, the four, two visible and two not, fled the building completely. Led by Graciela and Ferb, Perfeneas and Isealia sprinted around the back wing and into a wide alley. The former two stopped to catch their breath while the others looked around again for either their prosecuters or their rescuers.

"Would whomever you are please show yourself?" Perfeneas asked the air in front of him. Almost immediately, Ferb turned Graciela and himself visible. No reaction appeared on either of the experiments' faces. "Why did you take us from the testing rooms?"

"We were never supposed to meet. Did you forget that, or did you make a mistake?"

"Do not understand, Isealia," the MOWCA agent began, "You can't right now. We were aware of the rule and were aware that were breaking it. That's called a misdeed."

"I do not comprehend the motivation for this. How could one possibly benefit from the hindrance of others?" Isealia asked.

"It's a long story. Would sing, but we do not have time. The point is, there's a lot more going on in this world than you two are permitted to know, and we think is only fair that we tell you. Important things. Besides, we both know that neither of you is more perfect than the other; is impossible. If you take the test, the only outcome is war between our countries. We can not have that.

"So Ferb and I are going to make an offer. It is not really a choice, if you are to prevent disaster, but we have to let you have a say. You could go back home tonight to your little houses and be perfect and all that jazz while everyone you know is staking their lives to prove that you are better than the person next to you. Or..." She and Ferb exchanged glances. "Or you could join us. You can have a whole new life, be whole new people. No more Perfeneas and Isealia. No more competition over who is better. No more lies and no more secrets - and you don't even know what those are yet! Ferb talked to his parents, and they said they could house two more. Isealia, I have not spoke things about this yet, but... Mys parents move to your Tri-State Area at the end of this summer for work. You could live with me."

"When could we see our families again?" Perfeneas asked, thinking as always about others before himself.

"That's the thing," Ferb took over, "In your case, live with me, and you will live with your family. The majority of it, anyway."

"How is that so?" Isealia wondered.

"Simple. Perfeneas, I am your brother."

"You're my what!?"

It was not the successful redheaded experiment that exclaimed this, but the failed one. Cansummace stood at the mouth of the alley, next to Vanessa. The latter started leading her companion closer to the children. "Perfeneas. Cansummace. You don't remember Linda, do you?" She asked, strangely calm despite the ruckus of the angered spectators just outside the opening, looking for their competitors.

"I do," Cansummace shouted eagerly. Perfeneas declined. "Well, for those who are not familiar, that was the name of your mother. Then, she went and married Ferb's father, so technically, you are all siblings. And that's not all, either."

"What's not all?" Another voice asked from the beginning of the now crowded alley. With a sternness only parents know how to pull off, Dr. Doofenshmirtz joined the rest of the group.

"Da-I mean, Doctor!" Vanessa cried in alarm, "Okay, firstly, who else is going to show up in the middle of this conversation?"

"I'M NOT HERE!" Irving claimed, showing himself for a second and then scampering away. He could watch the whole thing later from his spy cameras anyway.

"...And secondly, what are you doing? I thought you were inside."

"Well, duh, I'm looking for my daughter," Doofenshmirtz replied.

Vanessa cringed visibly. She was just going to say something that would be exponentially more awkward now that he was there. But there was no going back now. This was as good a time as any to say it. "I think it's pronounced..." She coughed sheepishly. "...Daughters."

Surprisingly, that was all it took for a lightbulb, left to collect dust in a junk drawer for years, to go off in Doofenshmirtz's head. "Oh my peanut butter," he said. "I-I can't believe I've n-never noticed before! Vanessa... You..." He just breathed the last word: "Charlene..."

Vanessa looked down, her secret finally out. "Yeah," she said, ashamed.

"Who?" Graciela inquired, trying to keep up with the conversation.

"...My ex-assistant," Doofenshmirtz explained. "You see, back when I was testing for Cansummace, I was paired up with another scientist named Charlene. She _was_ a nice person, I guess, but one day I figured out she was sabotaging me. Man, I was mad! We never saw each other again. I knew she had taken some of the DNA I was working with, but until now I've never known what she'd done with it."

"Wait a minute..." Cansummace demanded, "If you're his daughter, and _I'm_ his daughter, then that means - yes! I have a sister!" She wrapped Vanessa in a tight bear hug. "I've always wanted a sister."

"Get off me," Vanessa commanded, single-handedly pushing her away. "We're half-sisters."

"Sorry, I'm just excited. You know, it's not every day you get two new siblings, right?"

"That's right." The voice was not Vanessa's, however. It was Britisher than hers.

"Ferb," the black-clad teen started, leaving Cansummace's side and bending down to his eye level. She put her hands on his shoulders. "I guess we're step-half-siblings, huh?"

Ferb looked away and nodded. She looked down again. "So, I suppose that means it's finally safe to tell you I love you. As family."

_Speaking of Shakespeare..._ Ferb thought.

"Wow. I and Irving, Perfeneas and Isealia, and now Ferb and Vanessa. Three new illegal relationships in one day - that's a new record," Graciela giggled under her breath.

"Wait a minute, I have _two_ daughters?" Doofenshmirtz realized again. It then became apparent how hard the scientist was taking this. He collapsed to the ground.

"He'll be fine," Vanessa quipped, standing up. "Now, back to you two." She gestured to Perfeneas and Isealia. "You've had time. What's the decision?"

"Wait, you'm in on our plan, too?" Graciela asked.

"'You'm'? Now you're just making up words," Ferb stated.

"I heard you talking about it before. The Flynn-Fletcher's said they could house two more, right? Perfeneas and Cansummace could live there with Ferb. And don't worry, I'll keep Dad company. I'm sure Mom would freak if she knew what was going on now."

Perfeneas and Isealia looked to each other. They were not completely sure what was in store for them if they moved. But if it meant Perfeneas, Cansummace, Ferb, and Vanessa being with their family - not to mention being able to continue to see each other - what was the worst that could happen? Nothing they could not handle together. They were perfect, after all.

The two reached for each other's hands. "We'll do it," they agreed.


	10. Home

**¡Gasp! What's this? Fifty - no, _fifty-two_ reviews? You guys are seriously the best. Sorry about the wait, school happened and the rest is history. Happy winter - or summer, depending on where you live - solstice, and here's chapter ten of MFEO for you! (And let's all ignore the fact that 'feo' is Spanish for ugly.)**

**Review responses!**

**Phineas A: Nope. There is still plenty to go.**

**Dreadwing216: Thank you. Here it is. :)**

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><p>Flight from the testing facility had been exceptionally easy with the help of Ferb's invisibility pistol. Vanessa remained with her fainted father to explain what had happened and to work out a system by which he and Charlene could rotate custody of her. Though it had taken some convincing, Cansummace joined Perfeneas, Isealia, Graciela, and Ferb to the home of the latter. He tentatively rung the doorbell to the Maple Drive house and waited.<p>

A tall, quirky man answered, clear from the start that he was Ferb's father. He beamed at the boy and called inside, "Honey! Ferb has returned from his mission!" (As Linda had been a vital part of one of the government's largest-controlled experiments, she and her husband Lawrence had the special allowance to know that their son was an OWCA agent. Ferb took advantage of this to justify his two-day absence.) Lawrence turned to the small crowd at his doorstep, inviting them to come in and then asking their names and intentions. Yes, in that order.

"Hello," the youngest began, "My name is Graciela and am Ferb's friend. We, ah, want to... To ask..."

The girl's request was silenced by the appearance of another woman, recognizable as a Flynn by her neatly kept red hair. She spotted Perfeneas and Cansummace and approached them cautiously. "It's been awhile," she began, embracing each of her children briefly. "How are you doing?"

"We're just fine, M-Mom," Cansummace answered.

Perfeneas agreed, "The circumstances could be much worse. I am glad to meet you personally."

Linda Flynn-Fletcher smiled sympathetically. "So, I take it you've won against that Mexican girl?"

"Well, actually, I-"

"Yes," Graciela cut Perfeneas off, "Yes, he did. I call Gr-I mean, I call myself-I call-" She stopped for a second to remember how the phrase worked in English, her face a deep shade if crimson. "Graciela. I am named Graciela. Work with Ferb sometimes."

"...I see. And who are you?" She asked, nodding to Isealia.

"She's my... Sister, Isabella," Graciela replied, adding another member to her fake family. "Came with me and Ferb for to escort Perfeneas here."

"Alright, then, follow me," she instructed, blissfully oblivious to the fact that Graciela and Isealia could hardly pass as cousins, let alone sisters.

* * *

><p>The five children toured the house, all three floors of it, finally stopping at Ferb's bedroom. The room was much larger than needed for one person Ferb's age, and suspiciously, he did not take advantage of the extra space. All of his personal belongings were kept only on the east side of the room, leaving the west bare save for a collection of various - well, collectibles - that led Perfeneas to conclude that either one of his parents had a knack for antiques. Cansummace, in realization of how much she needed to be surrounded by more color, remained in a guest bedroom that was adorned in hot pink wallpaper. She loved the change so much that she immediately claimed it as her own room and was now planning about how to decorate it.<p>

At this time, Linda and Lawrence had left the children to their own devices, the former promising pie when they were ready to come back down.

"So, I think Perfeneas will stays here, right?" Graciela suggested, noting the extra space. Ferb nodded. "Then we should probably tell them, right? Would need Cansummace?"

In response, Ferb moved to his closet and retrieved two items. "Close your eyes," he instructed the two successful experiments, and they unsurprisingly obliged. First, Ferb took his stepbrother's hands - they became slightly more tense, ready to preform a wrist hold if Ferb dared try to hurt him - and raised them above his head. He calmly removed the redhead's shirt and replaced it with another. He then moved to Isealia, in his hand a garment much smaller than Perfeneas's but no less significant. Carefully, he fixed the pink bow on her head, stepped back to Graciela, and allowed them to open their eyes.

"Look at yourselves," Graciela said, gesturing to a thin mirror near Ferb's dresser. "What do you think?"

Perfeneas and Isealia both turned and just stood there, entranced by the sudden addition of color to their attire. Never once, they realized, have they ever worn color. The only exceptions to this were the watery strands of Isealia's blue highlights and the fire that was the red of Perfeneas's hair.

Across the hallway, Cansummace was feeling the same way, surrounded by one of the things without which she nearly lost her sanity.

Isealia finally spoke. "I think it's beautiful."

Perfeneas answered, in reference to his new off-white and orange stripes, "It's different than what I am used to. I like it. Truly, I do."

"That's good to hear," Graciela commented. "Are you ready?"

"That depends on for what we must prepare," explained Isealia.

"Yes, they are fine," concluded Graciela. She was about to continue when a wonderful aroma found its way into the room, enveloping the children and settling around them like a warm hug.

"But first," began Ferb, recognizing the smell immediately, "Some pie." The others agreed wholeheartedly.

* * *

><p>Cansummace was still inside the surprisingly bright home of the stoic Ferb Fletcher when he and his friends explored the backyard. They were saving the best for last, they reasoned, a point proven absolutely correct after only the first seconds of being in the yard. The caretaker of the lawn, whomever that may be, had obviously cared about how it looked, as each blade of grass was trimmed with an expertise only masters of landscaping could be expected to use. It was as green as the hair of the young boy who adored it so, if not greener.<p>

The most prominent item in the yard, rewarding with the sight of it only those who were not distracted by the grass, was the tree. An infallible example of why the street on which its house was placed was named as it was, the towering maple stood strong against the back fence, contrasting the jet blue of the sky royally. Squirrels, birds, and communities of insects were proud to call the grand piece of vegetation home. Ferb led his companions to the base of this very tree and by doing so himself, invited the rest to sit down there.

But even Graciela was hesitant. The power held by the maple was not intimidating, though when added to the sureness with which Ferb always moved, it felt wrong at first to take command of the tree by sitting under it with him. Ferb's strong and silent ways, taken with the grace of the branches as they moved with the breeze, showed just how much the two organisms had in common. He seemed to fit exactly right with the whole yard. Everything there, Ferb was one with. He walked with a certain confidence in knowing that the Earth would catch his next step. Even in the urban areas of Danville, his preference for travelling by motorbike and the skill with which he rode further demonstrated his ability to draw power, if only mentally, from the ground.

So, as not to disturb the Ferb-Earth connection, no one actually joined him at first. In the cases of Perfeneas and Isealia, they also refrained from doing so to prevent the dirtying of their clothes.

But they all could sense that something was missing. The tree was much bigger than even Ferb could conquer himself. Graciela finally lowered herself to sit facing him, on the grass. "You two can sit, too," she informed, checking first with Ferb using her eyes. As they were expected to, Perfeneas and Isealia dropped down next to Ferb and Graciela, respectively.

"Good. That's better," Graciela began, noting the rightness of the brothers' positions under their tree. Surrounded by fire, water, and earth, she felt elevated and relieved, as if everything had just became right. She looked to the sky as a flock of birds chirped overhead, flying freely against the bright, sun-infused cumulus clouds. She adored flight, absolutely adored it. It brings her closer to the sun, the same sun that heats both the countries who were closer to war than a cat is to its next nap. She felt comfortable on airplanes, one of the only places she could look down on the world despite her dismal height. She remembered the last time she flew - what was it, only two days ago? - she had felt so confident when dealing with the inexplicably monolingual policeman and flight attendant. But as soon as they touched down, she was nothing more than a girl little who can no talk English proper. As she would probably put it.

Graciela would get better. If she was going to live in America, she would learn how to dominate the language. She would be the best dang English-speaker in the whole dang world, dang it. And maybe she would take up street.

"So, let's see, what is first?" She wondered aloud, "Every the people will be looking for you two. You can not let them know which - who! - who you are if you are going to pull this off. So Ferb and I thinked about it, and give you new identities. Comprehend?"

Isealia and Perfeneas confirmed that they did.

"Well. You." She pointed to Perfeneas. "...You go to call yourself Phineas. Is the closest to your real name. And will need a surname, too."

"I have never needed a surname," the boy commented.

"Good, you do now. 'Doofenshmirtz' will attract too much attention. So should take the name of your mother, Flynn. Phineas Flynn. Sounds well."

"The alliteration makes it sound poetic," Phineas, as he is now called, agreed.

"...Will live here with your brother, Ferb, and your sister, who will be... Gertrude. Looks like a Gertrude to me."

Ferb looked at her as if to say, "That isn't what we planned."

"Alright, Gertrude can be the middle name. She will be Candace. Is close to Cansummace, and German like your father. Candace and Phineas Flynn. It pleases me."

"What of the lovely Isealia?" Phineas asked.

"Have already said who she will be. For now, she will pretend to be my sister. Will be called Isabella. García-Shapiro is good to use in this country if you do not want to take my name. Will be my stepsister - yes, this works. Phineas Flynn, Candace Gertrude Flynn. Isabella García-Shapiro. And of course, Ferb Fletcher. What a group fun."

"What about you, Graciela?" The now-dubbed Isabella wondered, "By affiliating yourself with us, you are putting yourself in danger. To keep our friendship, will you change your name?"

That was one of the reasons Graciela had decided on another title for herself, the other being that OSBAM would have her head if and when they discovered what she had done.

"Gretchen. Going to be Gretchen. And my last name is common enough to keep."

"...Okay. Will we continue to see our friends?" Per - no, Phineas - asked.

Graciela, or Gretchen, sighed. "Lucky for you, your 'friends' do live around here. If they want to keep seeing you, that can be arranged. Would have to quit OSBA, though. I-I mean, OWCA.

"But you, Isabella, you... Will have to make some new ones, I think. Other than me. Will both have to do new friends. Luckily, it seems that we already have two."

"That is right!" Phineas exclaimed, standing up in enthusiasm, "Ferb and I will gladly be your friends. Buford, Baljeet, Irving, Django, and Balthazar will, also, if you are nice to them."

Ferb, sensing that being constantly surrounded by boys would grow tiring to them, added, "Perhaps you can also join a Fireside Girls troop."

"It's decided, then," Isabella declared, sanding up as well. "We will all stay here together to prevent disaster from befalling our nations. We can do this!"

* * *

><p>"Okay, I think-I think I've got it down," Candace declared, getting used to her new name. "'Can', like, I can do this, and 'dace', like... Like, I can do dis!"<p>

"That's... One way to look at it, I guess," Gretchen confirmed. After pie and an introduction to the backyard, the children headed back to Candace's room to discuss with the teen how the rest of their lives would be from that point on. At first, it felt like a big deal, moving into this new home, so much brighter than the dusky apartment, but since Perfeneas and Isealia were able to process and deal with change easily, it was only really a matter of getting the boys' sister to cooperate.

"But what's with the stripes, bro? And you. Where'd you get the hair bow?"

"You're going to need a new style in addition to your new names," Gretchen explained, "I suggest putting in a bit more... Color to your wardrobes. Ferb... _Borrowed_... That hair bow from your friend Stacy, and he just had that shirt. As for Isabella, if she's going to stay in this country, you'll find a few dresses nices littles in the closet of this room that she can choose from." She looked to Ferb before explaining why. She could never tell if he was sensitive about it or if she was just imagining that. "Aparently, a few years ago Linda and Lawrence tried for a little girl, but..." Gretchen looked down. "No such luck. They had already bought clothes, though, and decorated this room for the baby. Guess they never had a reason to get rid of the clothes or decorations."

As Gretchen explained this, Candace began moving towards the closet and sifting through the dresses. The sizes ranged from tiny to wearable by people her age. She chose a pinafore from the middle, holding it out to the hot pink room. Ferb approached her, saying, "For clarification, I've never had to wear any of these," and nervously brushing away a few green hairs from between the pleats of the skirt.


	11. Wanted

**There goes the updating schedule... Right out the window. Anyway, first update in the fandom in 2015, yeah! At least, in my time zone, anyway. HAPPY NEW YEAR!**

**Review responses:**

**Dreadwing216: Thanks! Scroll down a little and find out.**

**BestZestGuest: Oh, there you are, anonymous reviewer whose comments never cease to inspire me. It's funny, most of the things you brought up were going to be in this chapter anyway.**

**Phineas A: Yes, now everyone has been given their canon names. We'll see how this plays out.**

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><p>The sun was well into its prolonged descent toward the horizon and Doofenshmirtz was now on a mission. It was not the same kind of mission his oldest daughter was usually given, as he had committed to fulfilling this himself. Though disorganized, clumsy, and lacking in common sense, the evil scientist occasionally had the determination to pull through and achieve something worthwhile, the one and only Perfeneas being a golden example of this.<p>

"Where. Is. He?" Doofenshmirtz demanded the two men behind the glass. After sorting out a few things with Vanessa, he had led a charge into the elevated room. He banged a fist on a small desk. "Tell me!"

"We don't know, sir," replied one of the men calmly. "If there's anything we can do to help, please feel free to tell us."

"You controlled the simulation. You let him get away. You have to help me find my son!" Doofenshmirtz never became aggressive unless a member of his family was in danger. He knitted his eyebrows together, tight.

The other man had shaggy brown hair and an unexplainable smirk on his face, which soon became a small grin. "Alright, alright, we'll see what we can do. Where did you last see the kid?"

"He and some other kids fled around the corner of the building, my daughter and his best friend included. They all got away, and I couldn't see where they went. Vanessa says they left for his mother's house. Can you figure out where a Linda Flynn-Fletcher lives, mister... Pawvenmayor... Poven-Povenmeer...?"

"Povenmire," the director introduced, extending a hand towards Doofenshmirtz. The doctor did not want to accept at first, but he felt the friendliness, the familiarity, and the - empathy? - in Povenmire's voice and tentatively shook it.

"Great. Now, find that address. I'm going to find my son, and I'm going to take him home." He turned away from the others and spoke slowly. "_Forever_. It will be like none of this ever happened."

* * *

><p>Graciela peered out the closed blinds of the Flynn-Fletcher house, using two fingers to open them wide enough to see through. She did not know, yet, if there were people looking for them, but she anticipated it and was almost certain that by now there was.<p>

She looked down and turned to face the living room. Linda and Lawrence were sitting on the living room couch, beholding the new outfits of Phineas and Isabella. The boy had been given new blue shoes and blue cargo shorts, and Isabella got on her dress, pink shoes, and a belt. The former pop star, Linda, had allowed her to take the clothes she had never had a use for since Ferb had started getting his own.

As the rest of the party began to leave the room to set up a place for the new guests to stay, this very woman remained in her seat. She looked solemnly down to the seat beside her, cradling her arms together in an attempt to comfort herself. While everyone else left, Perfeneas lingered behind and quietly seated himself next to his mother, inviting her to explain what was wrong.

"She... Your friend, Isabella. She just... Fit so _perfectly_ into that dress. She looked beautiful." Linda explained, taking a breath. "It was like she-it was like... It was like she was the daughter I never had." Linda knew that usually, telling this to a ten-and-a-half-year-old boy would be a pretty obsolete move, but she trusted that Perfeneas would know exactly how to comfort her. The perks of being involved in the biggest government-controlled experiment in years.

The boy inched closer to the person whom he just met that day in spite of her being one of his parents. "According to what I learned, she's actually still with you," he began. "When an unborn child is developing, see, some of the child's deoxyribonucleic acid enters the bloodstream of the mother, and vice versa. About six percent of a mother's DNA originally belonged to her children." Perfeneas spoke quietly, in a comforting voice. "Therefore, at least part of her is in you, just like Candace and I are. In a sense, she is alive: through you."

Linda stared at the triangular-headed boy. A few seconds passed before she enveloped him in a gigantic hug, making clear to him how much losing the baby actually affected her. "Oh, where have you been all your life?" She wondered aloud, smiling with relief.

"I've lived in the Tri-State Area for as long as I can remember," he replied.

Linda finally pulled away, holding Phineas by the shoulders. She looked him up and down, tongue-tied. "Thank you," she stammered, "That really made me feel better."

"You are welcome," Phineas responded automatically.

"Can you promise me something?" Linda started, "Never change, okay?"

"I cannot stop the physical growth of my body."

"That's not what I mean." Of course Perfeneas would take the request literally. "What I mean is, never stop being perfect. Being _you_. Can you promise me that?"

Phineas considered this. Technically, he would not be the same person in composition in a few years, as somatic cells die off and are replaced, but he understood that his mother was speaking of his character. "Yes," he confirmed, "Yes, I could promise you that."

* * *

><p>Major Francis Monogram dreaded pressing each number on the dial of the call he had to make. Since the people (and platypus) assigned to lead Cansummace and Perfeneas through life around others all worked in his division, he had attended the test and was required to report its results to the chief executive, the Head Honcho, the very top, the President of the United States of America. Cringing, the major pressed 'Call'.<p>

The President himself picked up on the second ring. "Monogram. How nice it is to hear from you," he greeted with what may have been a lick of sarcasm. "What are the results of the test? I take it our Perfeneas won."

"See, that's-that's the thing," Monogram explained, "Perfeneas... Is gone."

"Gone?" Repeated the man on the other line, alarmed. "Elaborate."

"We don't have any leads to how it happened. All we know is that one moment, before it started, he was there; the next, zip. No Perfeneas. We can't explain it."

The President sighed heavily. "What about Isealia?" He inquired, "Is she still there?"

"No, the same thing happened on the Mexican side of the facility. Neither of the experiments are anywhere to be seen."

There was a pause on the other line. "Then neither one actually took the test."

"That's correct," Major Monogram confirmed.

"...And now, there is no way to know which country is superior."

"I... I wish that was the case, sir."

"As do I," the President agreed. "Initiate efforts to find and return the children to their families. Do not, under any circumstances, allow them to interact. Am I understood?"

"Yes, sir," Monogram reported dutifully.

"Good. Now, I have some business to attend to. Monogram, gather your agents and prepare them for war."


	12. Infatuated

**Back to school today. Yaaay. (My biggest problem with it is that school takes time away from writing. And life. Oh, wait, same thing! XD)**

**...And why is two updates in a week suddenly an accomplishment?**

**Review responses!**

**Dreadwing216: Well, a bunch more are coming. So do I!**

**Phineas A: Essentially, the United States vs. Mexico. Sorry if that wasn't clear.**

* * *

><p>Perfection is not something that can be achieved merely by practice. Rather, perfection is something that is all-encompassing of one's life. It is an obsession. Perfection, therefore, needs to be retained. Once achieved, it will not effortlessly stay so. The fact that they were able to keep it this long is what made Perfeneas and Isealia truly impressive.<p>

* * *

><p>"Isealia," Gretchen called, once again reverting to her native tongue. "Or... Isabella. You're awake, right?"<p>

The basement given to the girls to stay the night in was dark not only because of its location underground but also because of the time. Willing to stay anywhere she was allowed, it was not hard to tell Isealia the only place available for them (Candace was very protective of her room and the boys did not have enough space to share with two more people), and Gretchen agreed to stay with her friend on the surprizingly clean couches found in the dark space.

"I am present and you have my attention," Isabella replied, returning too to Spanish.

"You... You're going to be okay, right? Promise me you'll be fine? A lot happened today. It will take some getting used to."

"I will remain in an emotionally and physically stable state," Isabella replied.

Graciela turned over on her side. "I know you will," she whispered.

Minutes passed and the girls came slightly closer to sleep. This changed as Gretchen continued, "And, Isabella? What do you think about... Phineas?"

Isabella's eyes fluttered open and her thoughts immediately became elevated at the mention of either of the boy's titles. Her gaze not leaving the ceiling, she replied in the only way she would think to. "He's perfect."

"I knew that, Isabella," Gretchen engaged, "But what do you really like about him? You obviously hold him in high respect."

"Ah, who would not?" Isabella asked dreamily. "Ever since I first saw his face, I knew he was different. He was just like me. It felt like twenty years since then before I met him in person. I never even thought our meeting was possible. It certainly was not allowed by our parents.

"To answer your question, I enjoy his company for a multitude of reasons. His likeness to me is one of them. It astounds me, all that we have in common. Above that, he's caring, intelligent, full of wit and humor, and he always knows what to do. He _trusts_ me. His relationship with Ferb is truly inspiring; I do not know if even I could get along with him as well as Phineas does. I appreciate his tone. He speaks to me different than most people. In spite of his knowing why I am different, he treats me as I am in opposition to how many others think I should be approached." Memories of her school career, in which fellow pupils shyly looked away and grew quiet when she was in the room in fear of destroying the experiment, flashed before her eyes. That was why she had people like Graciela and Asención and Milagrosa and Katia to be her friends. She briefly wondered if she were ever to see them again, or if they even cared to see her. They _were_ assigned friendships, after all. "In sum, Phineas is different. His presence is one that I, and I am sure many others, greatly enjoy. He is the fire of my spirit."

By this time, young Graciela had long since fallen asleep. A quick check over the arm of the couch told Isabella that. The experiment turned around, closed her eyes, and whispered, "Buenas noches, Gretchen."

* * *

><p>A small bed was fashioned out of a few extra blankets and a pillow the Flynn-Fletcher's had laying around. Phineas, the gentleman that he was, declined Ferb's offer to let him take his bed and promptly created his own makeshift sleeping area.<p>

The room was lit only by the full moon's light falling gracefully through the windows. Hardly disturbing the quiet of the night, Ferb offered, "Brother?"

"I am present and you have my attention," Phineas responded.

Ferb blinked. "I've been meaning to ask. Now that you've met, what do you think of Isabella?"

Phineas's brow furrowed a little as the boy processed his stepbrother's question. "She is perfect," was all he could think to say.

Ferb propped himself up on one arm to angle himself better and gave Phineas a look that read a request for elaboration. Getting the message, Phineas continued.

"Isabella is definitely someone special. She has talent I've never seen before from someone her age. Always polite, she can calm the most ferocious of animals by her voice alone. Speaking to her always results in surprise on my part. Naturally, I want to learn more about her and who she is. Never before have I met someone who shares all the same ideals as I do. Meeting her in person has been a refreshing experience. I only hope that circumstances will allow us to continue to see each other. She is the water that replenishes me and keeps me alive."

Ferb simply nodded in understanding before turning over in an act of saying, "Good night."

"Good night, Ferb," Phineas returned, feeling himself, too, turn over and attempt to get to sleep.

* * *

><p>Late into the night, a stirring disturbed the darkness that had enveloped the house. More accurately, two stirrings came about: one, on the second floor above ground level; the other, one level below. A short, abrupt jolt of one's shoulders, a mouthful of gritted teeth on one's cringing face. Though both asleep, Perfeneas and Isealia, now better known as Phineas and Isabella, were for the umpteenth time in the past twenty-four hours experiencing something completely new.<p>

This time, it was pain.

Both specimens writhed about in place. They clutched their blankets so hard their knuckles turned white. Hardly a moan escaped the children as they wriggled and jostled in their sleep. As if trying to force a nose up an ear, each squirmed in utter discomfort at whatever was transpiring. Legs kicked, heads knocked this way and that, and eyes clamped so shut they would not be opened with the aid of a crowbar. Every part of their respective bodies slammed side to side. It was a wonder they remained on whatever they were using for a bed or that Ferb and Graciela stayed blissfully in peace as this transpired. All at once, their entire beings flailed about in nonstop, screaming pain, quiet grunts and short cries fleeing them.

Outside, a roaring summer thunderstorm cackled with lightning as stray platypuses ducked for cover beneath neighboring porches.

Scientists believe that the universe was created when all matter, compacted into one tiny atom, exploded into the stars and galaxies we know today. More sudden than this supposed creation was the awakening of Phineas and Isabella. Panting more heavily than a dog after a good game of fetch, the two opened their eyes with a start. Something inside of them had just died, and much too early.

* * *

><p>Isabella felt so... Different. Her hands shook and fidgeted in confusion. She tried shaking her head to clear it, but only more pain registered, though less of a sharp discomfort and more of a mild headache. She pushed herself up with one arm, holding her head with the other. She squinted about the basement, blowing stray strands of hair out of her face. Gretchen was still snoozing, and at the sight of her friend Isabella felt a short-lived smile creep across her face. Then it disappeared.<p>

The girl shakily threw the blanket off the couch and placed one bare foot after the other onto the cold concrete ground. Why Graciela, lover of the sky, had chose to stay in such a low place bothered Isabella for a moment, but she dismissed the thought.

Taking a few minutes to right her breathing, Isabella continued to step with thin, powerful legs away from the couch she had rested on before. She closed her eyes slowly, and did the only thing she could think to do: she began singing about the first thing she could think of.

_All my life was black and white_  
><em>Nothing new, nothing to rue,<em>  
><em>And all my goals were in sight.<em>  
><em>Everything so clear, like a whisper in my ear<em>  
><em>But that was before you.<em>

She turned around a pole which was clearly essential to holding the house up. Her white dress, now being used as a nightgown, swayed along as she turned. She kept singing, only slightly louder as she began her ascent up the stairs.

_Now I know, now I know_  
><em>My years have never been so.<em>  
><em>A fake, a fraud, a dirty patch in gleaming white snow.<em>  
><em>Where I've been led in my short life is nothing more than a lie...<em>  
><em>Thanks for opening my eyes.<em>

Upstairs, Phineas sat up quickly. Beads of sweat formed at the top of his head, which he brushed off only to find he'd acquired a headache. He looked over to Ferb, who was still sleeping soundly. Why Ferb, lover of the earth, was given a room on the top floor of the house bothered Phineas briefly, but other questions quickly took its place. How, for example, could he have been at peace after what had happened to the redhead? What _had_ happened to him?

He slowly stood up, stretched, and gazed out the window to notice thousands of raindrops splattered against it. Each one reflected his needle-shaped face. He looked down, turned away, and did what he had been told to do daily: he started singing about the only thing on his mind.

_Each of my days were meant to amaze_  
><em>And as they did, I thought they bid<em>  
><em>Goodbye to bad ways.<em>  
><em>Living in ignorance and thinking it brilliance<em>  
><em>All that was before you.<em>

Phineas moved towards the door, grasping its handle and silently swinging it open to face the hallway. The loose-fitting pijamas he was given were pushed back swiftly by the momentum of the door opening as lightning struck outside the window behind him, effectively illuminating the boy from behind and creating a backlight effect. He raised his voice slightly as he began his descent down the stairs.

_Now I'm sure, now I'm sure_  
><em>This world is so much more.<em>  
><em>A race, a chase, a disgrace you think you're looking for.<em>  
><em>What I've been taught in my short life resulted from a bit of spite...<em>  
><em>Thanks for giving me that light.<em>

Phineas strode towards the source of the other voice he heard; Isabella did the same. At once, the two burst into each other's view as they faced opposite sides of the living room. Finally seeing each other again momentarily distracted them from whatever they had previously experienced.

Isabella continued the song, with Phineas answering her on every other line.

_And everything is different  
>Yes, everything changed.<br>It used to be so easy...  
>...When life was but a game.<br>Look into my open eyes!  
>I shall see your brilliant light!<br>And help me, please, to find the truth  
>Hidden from me before you...<br>_

Phineas and Isabella shared the next line, pressing their hands against those of their partner and each taking one step forward with their right foot. They closed their eyes and pronounced the last words slowly, as if trying to make them last forever.

_Beee-fooore... You..!_

Slowly, each pair of hands moved as appropriate to clasp the one in front of them as the two held the last note. Their lips already in prime position for what is likely the most common expression of love to another individual as a result of singing said note, it was Isabella who moved in first...

From behind a corner came the faint, dark yellow glow of a flashlight and the shadow of a tall, somewhat rectangular figure. "Hello, Isabella? Was that you I heard?" Asked the shadow, and the children snapped to the sound, grasping each other for protection.

"Run," Phineas whispered urgently. The two scampered back to their rooms.

* * *

><p>Isabella did not stop until she was safely thrown onto the couch by her own momentum and grabbing the blanket tight. Her breathing was rapid and unsteady, just loud enough for someone to hear.<p>

"Isealia, are you okay?" Inquired a concerned Graciela in jumbled Spanish, reaching around for her glasses. She pushed them up her nose, folded her arms over one of the couch's, and waited for a response.

* * *

><p>"...I'll be fine." Phineas looked towards the front of the bedroom, letting Ferb see his slightly distressed and much more emotional than normal profile. "But, it's..." The boy looked down for a second, then sheepishly met his brother's eyes. "It's Phineas now."<p>

* * *

><p><strong>...Yup. Ah went there. Hey, I don't know what it's like from the reader's perspective, but writing that song gave me a real <em>Frozen<em> vibe. What do you guys think?**

**Review, if you're into that.**


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